In the Middle of the Beginning, of the End
by changes
Summary: Hermione has followed Draco up to the owlery, and she is going to find out things that will lead to a lot of confusion with her feelings... R&R PLEASE! ch 5 is up, dhr.
1. The Beginning

** scattered feelings - i hope you'll like the fanfiction, and I have to excuse if the english seemes a bit 'boring' sometimes, as it is not my birth language; but I also wrote this in a hurry. enjoy.**

The sun was rising of the last day of the sixth summer vacation for the three youths; lying in their beds in the home of the Weasleys' family house, called the burrow. The first one to wake up was the girl of the group, she drew a hand through her tangled hair and lifted her had and looked out the window with sleepy eyes, and sighed. She stepped out of bed and stumbled over to the bed next to her to wake Ron up from his slumber, but she saw that he was already awake.

"Good mornin'..." he said yawning.

"Good morning yourself, since when do you wake up before me?" she said sitting down on his bed, to rest her still sleepy body.

"… Since you started snoring even louder than me." He said with a cough of giggles, and Hermione answered by lounging one of the pillows at him, apparently hard enough for him to wake up properly, to take a part in the pillow-fight himself. Which resulted in waking Harry up as well, who happily defended his male friend by tickling Hermione into fits.

This may sound dull, and childish. But as the three hadn't really had the time to enjoy their summer vacation properly, because of the years' events that had shifted their lives to such a decree, it all had almost fallen apart. So, this little moment of childish play was something to hold on to. 'You – know – who's' re-appearing in the wizarding world had caused mass-panic. And as Harry, Ron and Hermione had a big part in the whole mess, they had been stuck at 'the Order of the Phoenix' all summer; until the day before.

Even though they now were grown ups, at least Hermione thought so, she enjoyed those simple childish moments with her two friends, because the thought it might as well be the last time she sees them alive, whatever they did; they always seemed to be in danger.

But now, their 6th year at Hogwarts were drawing nearer; and took some dark thoughts out of their mind as they now could behave as they usually did before the departure. – hastily checking that they had everything packed, checking their school supplies etc. – Harry and Ron discussing the future Quidditch matches the upcoming year, and Hermione trying to read a newly bought book in all the commotion. – but, Harry and Ron's favourite conversation involved an event that had happen when they were at the order; that the Ministry had officially stated in the Daily Prophet that they had caught several death eaters, including the name of Lucius Malfoy. Ron's face was filled of glee every time he pictured Draco Malfoy, (son of Malfoy senior), when they would see him at Hogwarts.

"Think his face when I put up copies of the article all over the school; wonder if he will cry or pee in his pants first?" Ron said and joined the laughter of the twins and Harry, but winced when he saw though that Hermione didn't.

"Oh, come on Hermione! You don't pity him do you?!" He said grimacing.

"Of course I don't, but I do have some humanity in me." She said not lifting her eyes from the book on her knee.

"And I don't?" Ron said, now louder.

She was about to reply when Harry made everybody conscious about that they had to get moving if they wouldn't want to miss the train, and Harry really didn't want to be in the middle of one of Ron's and Hermione's fits, which a number of led to that they wouldn't speak to one another for days; making Harry the peace holder.

"Welcome everyone, to another year at Hogwarts!" The headmaster said with a broad smile on his face, while all the students and teachers clapped. – After his, this time abnormally long speech they had the feast to fill their empty stomachs with.

"I'm starving!" Ron said stuffing his moth full of fried potatoes, not even bothering to chew.

"Ron, that's disgusting!" Hermione said who was taking some pie unto her plate, and turning around to look at Harry, who to her surprise was stuffing himself as well.

"God, I'm so glad I'm a girl."

"Wha'? You' jus' jealous!" Harry said through his full mouth, not hearing a word he or Ron was saying through the food, she looked accidentally over at the Slytherins table; her eyes sticking to a blonde spot at the middle of it all. The face she recognised as Draco Malfoy wasn't laughing or sniggering as he used to, he was just sitting there looking at his plate; sometimes nodding to Crabbe and Goyle.

She couldn't help but notice that he had changed a lot through this summer; he seemed more… mature in some way; his hair was still very blonde as it always had been, but he looked more; to use the word, handsome.

"Ha, look at the little prat; 'my dad is in prison, I'm all alone! Boohoo!"

"Wonder if the dementors has sucked out his soul yet." Harry said, joining Ron's starring.

"Harry! How can you say something like that, that's awful!" Hermione said outraged slapping him on the arm.

"What! If it was me who'd said it you would have said nothing!" Ron said very offended.

"That's because Harry hasn't got that big of a mouth, until he'd spent a summer with you…"

Ron opened his mouth but closed it again, then he smiled and said "Yeah, you're right. I do have a big mouth" Harry just laughed as Hermione shook her head at her friends' stupidity. Turning her head she glanced over at Malfoy again, now seeing his own eyes starring over where they sat; and met his gaze for a second and then she looked away as she had been caught with the hand in the cookie-jar.

Ron, Harry and Hermione huddled through the crowd to get to the dormitories, talking about how they would spend the first evening when she felt someone breathing down her neck behind her.

"Hey! Keep your filthy hair out of my face Granger." The blonde boy spat out when she turned her head to look at him. "My hair has got nothing to do with your face." Hermione said through gritted teeth.

"Oy! Corpse face, why don't you just die so _we_ can be left in peace." Ron said coming down the stairs to where Hermione and Malfoy stood, with a fuming Harry behind him.

"Just if you put out that fire on top of your head Weasel, you are about to burn up the whole school. Wouldn't that be a pity", at that Ron's cheeks turned as red as his hair, leaving Harry to continue the verbal assault.

"So, how's your dad? Insane yet?" Hermione's body stiffened at those words and looked at Malfoy, who was stiffened as well; the gleeful smile wiped out from his face.

Hermione closed her eyes and turned away because she thought she did not want to see what was going to happen next, but she heard nothing like a cast spell or the sound of struggle, so Harry wheeled her around. "What happened?" She asked as she saw Malfoy sprinting up the stairs.

"Nothing, he just saw you close your eyes and left."

"Coward." Said Ron, apparently gaining the gift of speech. Though this was weird, she appreciated that she hadn't had to see her friend end up in the hospital wing the first day of school.


	2. Boys, classes and utter hatred

Ron and Harry went to bed early, leaving Hermione alone with her books. She wanted to catch up on some summer reading she had forgotten all about when she was at the order; and she was shocked when both Harry and Ron didn't care. She gave up when the clock turned to three in the morning, and she could barely hold her head up. She went on tip toe up to her dormitory, and was shocked once again that her fellow roommates were still up.

"Hello Hermione, did you have a good date with your books?" Lavender asked, making the other girls giggle. – Hermione just straightened, but when she couldn't find anything to say, she went to her bed to put on her pyjamas.

"… hmm, you know, Harry looked kind of good. What do you think?" Parvati said asking Lavender who now ignored Hermione's open mouth. "Yeah, but he's too short. Too bad Ron's taken though, isn't he Hermione?" Parvati shot at her as she was pulling her nightgown down over her head.

"What do you mean?" Hermione said, curious.

"Isn't he your boyfriend?"

"Are you mad?! – yes, you are mad!"

Hermione closed the view of her laughing roommates with her drapes and lay down on the bed; the image of her and Ron being together was just ludicrous. Insane. Impossible.

The first lesson was defence against the dark arts, with the new teacher; Ferrah Rawlins, to the trios delight was a good friend of Remus Lupin, though to the disgust of some Slytherins.

"Today, we are going to talk about spells related to a persons greatest fears, and I've heard from professor Lupin that you've covered Boggarts, that are related to this subject…"

"Professor Lupin? That nutter?" Malfoy shot out from the back of the classroom, accompanied by his two brute friends.

"Shut it Malfoy!" Both Ron and Harry shot back, but as Hermione was too intrigued by the lesson, shot her hand up in the air, instead of at Malfoys' jaw.

"Are you talking about the occolamency incantations?" The teacher nodded and told the class to turn their books to the right page.

The incantations made the victim re-live one of his greatest memories, or fears. Making the whole event bee showed to the one that had cast it, and the people surrounding them. Even though the spell was of dark magic, there was no law against using it.

"Now say after me, without your wands please, _Memoria Inrapture!" _– The whole class was waiting to try the spell with anticipation, but was greatly disappointed when they weren't allowed; they just got the homework to hand in an essay about the subject. Harry and Ron was discussing the class, though Hermione was directing her attention somewhere else; she saw that Malfoy went in another direction than everyone else, and as her two friends was chatting about unaware, she sneaked of after him.

She stayed a great bit after him, but she could still see him move. He was going in the direction of the owlery, but as he was at the stairs he turned around and ran in Hermione's direction. Totally struck by the change she turned around and ran as fast as she could away from him, but as she could hear him coming nearer she saw she had run so fast, she now didn't know where she was.

She turned around and was met by the furious Malfoy standing next to her. "Why are you following me?!"

"I don't know." He stared at her for a minute, catching his breath then just made a grunt and turned around to leave. "Wait!" She grabbed his sleeve to stop him.

"Don't touch me!" He cried and took a step backwards. Hermione was taken aback and hurt, but made nothing of it. She just needed to get out of there.

"I don't know where I am, and if you don't help me, I'll be late for class…"

"What? 'I'll be late for class'? Is that all you care about?!"

"Harry, where's Hermione? She was right behind us a minute ago…" The minute after that she came bashing into the classroom followed by Malfoy, who looked fuming. And Hermione looked even more so. "Don't even ask!" She said and sat down beside Harry, looking for a quill. "Do we really want to…"

She sat there, trying to concentrate about what professor Snape was saying; but couldn't stop thinking about what had just happen. - The long way to the dungeons was made in utterly silence, but as Hermione hate silence, she had opened her mouth to say something. "Erm… Malfoy?"

"What?!" He didn't even turn around to look at her; he just kept his speed like she wasn't there.

"What were you doing in the owlery?"

"Nothing obviously, I never made it there did I?"

"But what were you_ going_ to do then…"

"… What do you usually do in the owlery?" He said with some sarcasm in his voice.

"Send letters."

"Yes, right you are miss- know it all." He said with a wry smile on his face.

"Don't call me that!" She said offended while Malfoy let out a laugh.

Malfoy had grown tall this summer apparently, because his steps were hard to keep up with, so Hermione had to break into a run to somewhat keep up with him. She was beginning to think Malfoy was leading her on a detour when they had been walking for over ten minutes, when they were about to enter through a door, he stopped and turn to face her.

"Just so you'll now, I've never hated you as much as I do now, so don't expect this year is going to be easy. So wipe that smile of your face, before I slap you…"

She had thought his words were utter funny, until she saw his face and his clenched fist. He was standing so close she could _smell_ his anger; though it smelled like strong cologne it couldn't be mistaken.

Then he opened the door what turned out to be the door to the classroom and pushed her inside.


	3. Memoria Inrapture!

Ron had never been so mad in his entire life when Hermione had told him and Harry what had happen with Malfoy; Hermione had known that he would react that way, and that was why she hadn't told them about it at first.

"That foul bastard!" Ron said throwing a book through the room. Then sitting down next to Harry, who was as angry as Ron, but who was better to disguise it.

"It's not your fault his dad was a death eater…" Hermione nodded, she knew that, but it was still disturbing that he'd said that it was _her_ he hated the most, than the three of them. She was still thinking about it three hours later, and she could still hear his words ringing in her ears, it was very disturbing.

"Hermione, are you ok?" Harry asked when they were about to do their defence against the dark arts homework; she hadn't even done half of what Harry and Ron had done, and it would ordinary be the other way around. She just nodded and tried to concentrate, but as she failed she couldn't help but glance over at Ron's' paper, which was now done and scattered over the table.

"Oy! What are you trying at?" Ron said and snatched his essay away from Hermione's' sight.

"What? Oh, I was just trying to see if you'd spelled your words right…" she said, blushing that she'd been caught.

"Yeah, right. If you wanted to copy my paper, couldn't you just ask?" Ron said with a smile, Harry rolling his eyes and seeing where this was going.

"I was not copying!" She cried and poked Ron in the arm with her quill, and Ron replied by holding an ink bottle dangerously near her hair. She screeched and dived at him.

From the back of the room Lavender and Parvati came into focus and shouted as the struggle between Ron and Hermione was over; "Hermione and Ron sitting in a tree, k i s s i n g!" what was followed by loads of giggles. - Hermione just wanted to sink through the floor whiles Ron stood up starring at the two girls with open mouth and looked awfully ridiculous, and was as red as a tomato in his face.

"I wish Colin was here with his camera; if you two could just see your faces!" Harry said, bending over with laughter when he saw Ron's' facial expression. But as Ron didn't think it was even a mere funny, he ran up to the dormitory and didn't speak to either Hermione or Harry for the rest of the evening.

After a week of classes and loads of homework, Saturday came as a blessing. Hermione had been doing so much homework even she had to admit that it was ridiculous to take that many subjects, but Ron couldn't make her hate artimancy as much as he tried.

They sat outside in the sun, just in front of the lake where there wasn't a single soul except them in sight. And they didn't even have to say anything; they just sat there in silence.

Though Harry and Ron seemed to enjoy the peace, but something was distracting Hermione from keeping her head clear; a voice saying harsh words.

She heard footsteps behind the trees they were sitting in front, and soon voices. Harry and Ron heard them to, and they sat there quietly so they could hear what was saying.

"… Draco, you haven't talked to me in a week. What's wrong?" Pansy Parkinson said to the blonde boy next to her, who didn't look as dedicated to the conversation as the girl did.

"Nothing, and can you stop following me… it's awfully annoying." He waved his hand, so she would go away, but she didn't.

"Look, I don't want you hanging around me every single second of my life, you're a tick! – stop_ ticking_ me."

Harry actually laughed at this, but when Hermione turned to look at the scene before them, she panicked.

"Did you hear that?" He asked, the now weeping girl standing next to him. She looked around but then turned and left. Malfoy stepped closer to where Hermione and the guys were sitting, but it seemed like he couldn't see them, but he stood still for what seemed minutes; and Hermione couldn't take her eyes of him; his face. His eyes were almost totally covered by his blonde hair, but they were icy blue, his mouth was very lined and she noticed that he was actually very god looking. She had never noticed it before, maybe because she had never had the opportunity to look at him before.

They were moving along the corridor to the great hall; Ron and Harry were starving and couldn't talk about anything but food at the moment. So Hermione was left with her thoughts, and her eyes darted to a person sitting across the room. Harry and Ron were to busy to notice her starring; but she didn't even notice herself.

- He was leaning against the table, faced in her direction. He looked awfully bored and just nodded as Pansy was talking to him; she had obviously gotten over his outburst on her. He drew a hand through his hair, sighed and looked around. He took an apple and took a bite, but stopped when he caught Hermione's eye. She was horror struck that he had noticed, but she couldn't bring herself to break away.

"Granger!" Malfoy was now walking towards her, still holding the green apple in his hand.

Harry turned around, and grabbed his wand. But Hermione took his hand and squeezed it hard, 'not here' she thought.

"Granger, why are you starring at me? I demand to know!" He said looking down at her.

"I.. I was just…"

"Well, stare at Weasel here instead. Everybody knows he fancies you, though I don't understand why…" He took another a bite of his apple.

"Sod of Malfoy!" Ron said standing up. The other students in the hall were now breaking their conversations to look what was going on, huddling around the four.

"Ooh, cocky aren't we…" He smiled, and passed glances down at Hermione, who was now hiding her face in her hands.

"Why don't you just join your filth of a father in Azkaban!" He screamed, making both Harry and Hermione jump in their seats.

"Shut up Weasel…" Malfoy said softly, looking a little pale. And out of nowhere he raised his wand. But not as fast as Ron, and he opened his mouth and said the first spell he could think of:

"_Memoria Inrapture!!"_

_ …A white shimmer came bursting out of the top of Ron's' wand, looking as if the wind of light was about to knock Malfoy of his feet; but his body stayed put where he was standing, but he was now on his knees and his head jerked back and the green apple was thrown through the air. It looked like he was struck by a power wave of a patronus. And when it stopped, there was just a white cloud around him, and nothing seemed to happen. Draco stayed put, but two transparent figures came into sight, and like a reflection in the middle of the hall, had a sort of room Hermione had never seen before appeared._

_ You could now see who the two transparent figures were; Draco and his father. They were standing in the transparent room, and the 'real' Draco was still in the middle of it, his head back with open eyes._

_ Everyone was standing still, waiting for something to happen. _

_ "Do you know what you have done!?" Malfoy senior said harsh to the boy standing before him, who looked his right age, but looked very small at the same time. _

_ "No, I don't." Draco said, looking down the entire time, biting his lip._

_ "oh, you don't do you. I can't imagine how I could get such a dumb child; it must have come from your mother… "_

_ "Dad..." His father stopped pacing and looked at his son._

_ "What did you call me?!"_

_ "I mean sir."_

Hermione was now holding Ron's' arm very tightly, and he hadn't lowered his wand yet. It was totally quiet in the hall.

_ "For a sixteen year old, you're very daft." _

_ Lucius didn't take his eyes of Draco for several minutes, it seemed like mind you, but then he turned around. Draco sighed of relief but got a horrid expression on his face when his father whipped around and slapped his son hard across the face, so heard he fell down._

Hermione covered her eyes, and several kids in the hall protested loudly, and wanted it to stop. Everyone eyed the hall after a teacher, but there were none.

_ The transparent Draco took his hand from his face, and the hand was full of blood. His lip had slashed as his fathers ring had made contact. His father's eyes were totally cold._

"Erase Memoria!"

The memory ended, and Ferrah Rawlins the DA teacher ran to catch the 'real' Draco, who was about to fall onto his back. He lay with open eyes; his head dangling form her arms. He had a cut in his lip, as he had in the memory.

"You there!" She pointed at two random students. "Get the headmaster and Madame Pomfrey, hurry!"

The crowd was now moving to get even closer, speaking rather loudly. Both Harry, Hermione and the people around them was starring at Ron, who now lowered his wand. Hermione stepped closer to the two people on the floor, and kneeling beside them.

"Professor, is there anything I can do?" Hermione asked trembling, as professor Rawlins tried to shake some life into the very pale Malfoy.

"Yes, you can hold him while I go to see where the bloody nurse is!" She said very angry, angry over the situation, and laid Draco in Hermione's' arms. Hermione had no idea what to do; she was scared and he looked so pale.

"Wake up." She said softly, running a hand at the side of his head, down his cheek. "Wake up." Another girl said, standing in front of them. It was Pansy.

There were sounds of footsteps coming through the hall, and professor Dumbledore stepped through the crowd and knelt down beside Hermione and Malfoy. Along came a fuming Madame Pomfrey and after that professor Rawlins who made her way over to Ron.

"How is he Poppy?" Dumbledore asked in a calm voice.

"Oh dear, he is just asleep. But we should carry him up to the hospital wing."

The crowd cleared and the only thing that was left in the great hall at dinner was the green apple lying on the floor.

**don't worry, more coming soon. either you like it or not, it is coming. :D**


	4. The Wakening

verything was pitching dark; he was surrounded by fuzzy sounds and the only thing he could feel was the throbbing of both his own brain and his heart. He breathed heavily and tried to open his eyes, but a sharp pain shot through his numb head and made him gasp; he jumped by surprise and fell down on the floor; 'what was this all about?'

"Mr Malfoy? Are you all right dear?" Someone said and helped him up on what seemed like a bed.

"Where am I?" Malfoy said, rubbing his sore arm he had landed on in the fall. Then he felt it wasn't the only thing that he felt was sore on his body. Because when he brought his hand up to his face he felt his lip was split, and he had no idea of how it had happened.

"You're in the hospital wing..." The lady said leaning over him; as he now recognized as the school nurse; Madame Pomfrey. She was now tucking him in like a baby for bedtime, but when he looked around he flung his legs over the edge of the bed and threw himself up on his feet, though staggering he felt supported enough to try to make a run for it.

"Oh no you don't!" shrieked the plump little lady and forced him back upon the bed. After three tries of escaping he gave up; and started drilling the annoying nurse for answers, of which none he got.

"Ah, I see you've recovered from you heavy sleep. Finally" Said a man with long white beard, and with a happy face, made his way over to Dracos' bed.

"Headmaster, what the hell... err... heck is going on here?!"

His smile fainted faintly and sat down, cleared his throat as if he was going to make a long speech, and Draco could only feel that he maybe now didn't want to know the answer of his question.

"How much do you remember of the other day Draco?"

"The other day? Exactly how long have I been here?" He asked perplexed as he looked around for the clock.

"Three days, exactly. What do you remember?"

"That I was having lunch, err… a green apple. That's all." Draco said, trying to look inside his head of what he had done three days before.

"Aha… just an apple? That's not very healthy, you're a growing boy, you should eat more…"

"… I mean that it is all that I can remember. Sir." Draco said, now very impatient.

The Headmaster drew a breath and told him, exactly, what had happened. And through the whole explanation they were interrupted by soft gulps from Madame Pomfrey who was pretending to refill his water glass, over and over again.

When Dumbledore was all finished, Draco was about to ask if this was his idea of a bad joke, but he just glanced at the old mans face; which showed no other feeling than pure pity.

"Can't everybody just sod off?!" Hermione screamed frustrated and sat down beside Harry in the Gryffindor common room. He was trying to write something on his homework at the same time keeping a conversation with the very angry female friend of his, and this was not an easy task, as he had to turn in the homework the next day.

"Calm down Hermione, it will clear over soon…" He said scratching his head.

"No it won't." She said and sighed.

The story of what had happened in the great hall between Ron and Draco had now spread all over the school, there was not a single student who didn't know what had happened. Hermione was angry at Ron for acting as such an idiot, she was angry at the students for having such big mouths and she was primarily mad at herself for not being able to do anything more to help.

The portrait hole opened and Ron made his way over to his two friends and sat down beside Hermione, who edged her way towards Harry, away from Ron.

"Ok, just two weeks more of detention… God, why don't you just kill me right now…" Ron said, making a gesture towards the ceiling, as if God was sitting there just waiting for him to say the magic words.

"I can do it for you, if you want it painful." Hermione said with hatred in her voice.

"Come of it Hermione, haven't I been punished enough? I've suffered three days of detention, with Snape of all people who hate me even more than Harry right now!"

"I'm still angry at you; I can't believe you hexed him with that horrible spell." She said and shivered as the memory of it crept up on her.

"Well, I thought it was wicked. I think professor Rawlins must pass you on that Ron." Harry said and smiled at Ron. He was his best friend, and Malfoy was not. He deserved what he got, even if it seemed dreadful.

"And, to make things worse. I have to apologise to that little git when he wakes up from coma-land." Ron said and looked very disgusted as if he had sniffed on something bad; like rotten eggs.

Draco was getting dressed in utter silence; he couldn't believe what Dumbledore just had told him. He was feeling so angry, betrayed and pitiful that he was very tempted to rip his own shirt into threads.

And when he was dressed, he looked over to his desk and saw all the cards and presents he had gotten while he was; asleep. There were several from people he knew, but also presents from people he _didn't_ knew, and even from people from other houses.

"You're awake!" Someone shrieked behind him and he was now being hugged from the back, by which he could see was Pansy Parkinson. He turned around and saw that she was not alone, she was accompanied by his two 'friends' Crabbe and Goyle. They seemed very confused.

"Hey…" Draco said just getting grunts in reply, and that was the thing he liked with his two friends, they knew when they were supposed to shut up, opposite from Pansy who didn't.

"I have been so worried! I've been here several times since 'it' happened, and you looked so far away…"

"… maybe because I wanted to be away from you." Draco said completely without any emotion and stepped away from the black haired girl, and made his way towards the door.

Draco walked as if he was walking on water, very fast but cautious. The walls were going by his sides so fast as if he was flying with his broom through the corridor, but he also heard muttering and whispers, but they did not come from anyone human because there was none in sight except him and his three friends, but they were coming from the paintings on the walls, and he knew that the word of him waking up would be at everyone's ears in no time, so he started to run.

"Ricctus Sortia" Draco said trembling and entered Slytherins house, and the sight that met him was almost making him sick. The common room was packed with people, and everyone was starring at him. The only sound that could be heard was his own footsteps up to the boys' dormitory.

She was not the only one in her class that was starring at him. Though everyone tried to be discreet, Hermione noticed that he must feel very put out there, because he was turning in his seat so often he looked like an out of order roller coaster.

"Err… I thought that we could end this lesson short, I think everyone in here would do with some extra rest for a change… Class dismissed."

When the commotion of the class was starting to end, Hermione made her way over to the blond and pale boy still sitting in his chair, who seemed very distracted by his quill which he had stabbed over and over again in his notebook, leaving great ink stains where his notes should have been.

"Err… Malfoy, class has ended." She said softly and nudged his shoulder.

"Oh, right." He grunted and started to put his books back into his bag, but as he was trembling he dropped all of his books on the floor.

"I can help you…" She said kneeling down beside him, and reached for a black book lying at her feet. But Malfoy beat her to it and she instead caught his hand, which was very cold.

"Don't touch my stuff, and especially not me." He said and jerked her hand away, not looking at her.

"I'm sorry about all that's happened…" She started, but one look at Malfoys' face made her cut her sentence. He looked like he could have hit her, but at the same time he looked nearly to tears.

"Granger, if you want to stay alive to graduate, don't say another word." He said stalking away through the door, leaving Hermione to her guilt.

Hermione walked out just a minute after Malfoy, but found him gone from the long corridor as if he had dissaparated, and was caught in by her two friends Harry and Ron that was waiting for her. Ron looked ready to burst as he clearly had seen Malfoy coming out of the classroom, and Harry just looked perplexed.

"What I mean is, why didn't he just kill me?" Ron asked Harry on their way to the dungeons, to their potions class.

"He walked right up to my face, said nothing and walked away. He could have beaten the shit out of me but didn't, wonder what he's up to…" Hermione and Harry said nothing.

Ron got escorted by professor McGonagall and professor Rawlins out of the Gryffindor house to go and meet Malfoy outside for an apology, though all other students were band to be there, Harry and Hermione (though forced) was under the invisibility cloak to see what was going to be said.

Ron was very red in the face as he sulked after the professors and met Malfoy, who was sitting on the stairs, obviously waiting for them to come. He smirked as he saw Weasley, and it didn't fade as Ron started to talk, or rather whispered.

"Err… I'm kind of… Err… Sorry." He said looking at his shoes.

"Whatever." Malfoy said and rounded on them and walked away, and both the professors and Ron was standing there very surprised at what had played out in front of them. They parted and Ron sprinted back to the common room, with Harry following him under the cloak. But without Hermione who had gone after Malfoy.

** I know, I can't write. But this is my fantasies so don't blame me if you don't like it… but I would appreciate feedback though…**


	5. A Stone of his Chest

He was once again heading for the owlery, and as his pace quickened, Hermione quickened her pace as well, and even more so too keep up with Malfoys' long steps; but very carefully, so he wouldn't notice her. She didn't know where this sudden curiosity of hers had come from, maybe it was pity she felt, but she couldn't quit place it as that.

He entered, or rather bursted into the tower-room making a lot of noise as he went, and she heard all the owls hooting nervously as they were abruptly awoken. She peered through the door and saw Malfoy sitting on the hay cowered floor, with his hands over his face, she could hear him muttering, but couldn't hear what.

"…Don't loose it, you'll get him… You'll get him…" He muttered to himself, and took a deep breath of air as he momentarily had forgotten that he was supposed to be a breathing creature, the reaction was not out of fear; but out of pure hatred and great loathing. He knew that if he had stayed to hear that Weasel-bees pathetic try of an apology, he would have lunged himself at him in the end. And the last thing he needed was to be expelled, he hated being at home at the time being as it was, he was even planning on staying at the school for the holidays.

He turned his gaze up, and saw someone standing in the shadows of the door; he quickly stood up and drew out his wand.

"Whose there?!"

Hermione hesitated but then stepped forward so he could see her properly; even though she was terrified of the look on his face, she lingered. He withdrew his wand and pocked it, and turned his back on her.

"What do you want Granger; do you want to finish me off?"

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you, and, I don't know what you mean…"

He didn't turn around; he was standing by the window sill and she could see his hands forming fists, his knuckles were white.

"What? You're blaming this on me?" She asked with a slight frown, stepping forwards towards his turned back.

"You're enjoying this aren't you, poor little Malfoy, finally got what he deserved…"

"I've never said that…"

"Do you even know what you the pothead and the weasel has caused me! I'm humiliated, everywhere I turn someone's there offering me pity, and I don't need it!" He took up a stone lying at his feet and threw it at her, but missed.

"You filth comes here to glow in my misery, is that it?! – Then take a good look, because it seems that I've reached my lowest point; that's what the local gossips says; 'poor Draco Malfoy is soon of his rocker and is going to throw himself of the Astronomy Tower!'"

"Draco, calm down…" She said, trembling to see him so angry, but even more devastated of the almost tears in his eyes.

"No one, no one had the right to see that! No one!" He threw another stone at her, but missed once more.

They stood there for a long time, and not dropping either ones gaze. The only sounds heard were the hooting owls on their perches, and Malfoy who seemed to be having an asthma attack.

And he was the one to break the connection when he soon settled himself on the hay covered floor, as she had found him in the first place. He was running his fingers through his silver blond hair, almost seeming to have forgotten Hermione's presence.

"Are you ok?" She knew it was a dumb question, but her brains and wit had been mashed up and it had slipped out of her skull, out through the window; it seemed like.

He coughed, as to try to laugh. But when he opened his mouth there was no sound. He kept running his fingers through his hair, and ignored Hermione once more.

"Draco? Why…" She took a deep breath at what she was about to ask. "Why did your father do that to you?"

He turned his face so she could see the small prickle of tears on his cheek, but saw nothing resembling anger on his features, but he kept silent, starring at her.

"…I'm sorry, I'll just leave…" She said and stumbled backwards towards the door, but stopping when:

"It was the day after my sixteenth birthday. And my dad had gathered some associates of his, to celebrate me turning sixteen a little of the record, without relatives and friends…" Hermione stepped closer to the blonde boy sitting on the floor, trying to take in every word.

" … I knew of course why they were there, they wanted to see what Lucius Malfoys' son was like, if he was worthy the title. And I really tried to be how my dad wanted me to be, but then I realised who all the people were; when I opened the first gift from a man I can't remember the name of. He gave me a ring; it was a death eaters ring…"

Hermione slipped in a gasp in the story as she sat down in front of him. He looked at her, and stroked away a tear which was resting on his right cheek, a little embarrassed.

"…I flinched, and as the people around me were smiling at me, my dad was right behind me breathing down my neck. But I gave the ring back to the man and ran into the house, followed by my d… Lucius." He sighed, frowned and looked away.

"And I think you know the rest."

Hermione sighed and looked into the face of the boy sitting in front of her, and she found that he was completely blank, but she didn't dare to ask what he was feeling, because that frown on his face was not to play with.

But she dared to do one thing; surprised of her boldness, she leant forward and gave him a brief hug.

"Now it's you whose' of your rocker…" He said when she drew back, a faint smile creeping upon his face.

She just tried to smile back, as the sensation of his skin against hers had made her a little light headed, but shook it away as he opened his mouth once more.

"It was the only time he ever hit me. Well, the only chance he had doing it as he was captured only a week later."

It was like by those words he came back to reality; why was he telling_ her_ all of this? – Anger arose within him as he pulled himself of the floor, and looked down at the girl at his feet.

"I guess pothead and weasel-bee will be very glad when their spy returns, with a lot of nice gossip for tomorrow's breakfast…"

And with that, he walked over to an owl, sent it on its way with a letter, and turned out of the owlery leaving Hermione confused sitting on the cold brick floor, where she sat for another hour thinking about what she would do…

** I hope you liked this chapter, and please send me feedback; it makes me write much better! **


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